IL governor orders special session on school funding

Rauner dismissed a request by Democratic Senate President John Cullerton to meet with legislative leaders so the governor can make a "rational decision" on the bill.

The $36 billion fiscal 2018 state budget the legislature enacted earlier this month over Rauner's veto prohibits the flow of state money to schools in the absence of an evidence-based funding model.

"We need to #FixSB1 and ensure that we have a school funding formula that is fair to all school districts, not one that gives special preference to Chicago Public Schools alone", Demmer said in his statement. A Chicago Sun Times report on the bill notes that CPS is now the only school district in the state that does not receive state funding for its pension contributions.

A significant amount of school districts throughout IL would be unable to keep their doors open for very long or open on time, if the state fails to provide them with enough funding.

This is the second Special Session of the year, with the first producing a budget including a state income tax increase which was passed over Gov. Rauner's veto.

"If that bill is not on my desk by noon, we will be calling special session", Rauner said during Monday's news conference, repeating a demand he made on Friday.

At stake is the Illinois State Board of Education's ability to start processing school-aid payments August 1 and for the school bell to ring mid-month.

That, plus the $505.8 million reduction in the bill's assessment of Chicago's local fundraising capabilities based on its unfunded pension liability, is what Rauner has maintained constitutes a "bailout" and has led to his insistence that reforming Chicago's teacher pensions - the only system funded by the district and not the state - is a separate issue.

Rauner once again said Monday that once he receives it, he would amendatory veto the bill to take out the funding considerations for CPS, at which point lawmakers would have to choose between accepting or overriding his changes.

Senate Democrats say the governor needs to just sign the new law and allow IL schools to open on time.

Cullerton, a Chicago Democrat, said in a statement that Rauner should show his hand.

Following Rauner, House Republican Leader Jim Durkin said Senate Bill 1 worsens the state's problems with school funding.

Rauner, who insisted on getting the bill on his desk before holding any discussions, declined to describe in detail his amendatory veto plans for CPS funding in the bill. "Our schools can't open unless that bill or some other version of it becomes law", he continued.

No matter what, something must be done to move IL to an evidence-based model of funding like the intent of SB 1, otherwise no state aid will be disbursed to schools - rendering many unable to open in the fall. "Send the bill to the governor".

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